1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pointing control device for moving a pointer or a cursor on a display of a computer to a desired position on the display.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a conventional method of inputting and outputting data during data processing, the data is formed by utilizing an input means such as a digitizer, a mouse, a light pen, or a track ball, in addition to a keyboard, while displaying data in the form of characters or graphics on a screen of a display, such as a CRT, of a computer, and giving vocal instructions to the computer. For example, such a method is frequently used in CAD or simulations in which data is processed by graphics.
Recently, in the fields of data processing and office automation, the number of operating systems and amount of software requiring the use of a pointing device other than a keyboard, while giving vocal instructions to the computer, has increased, in an attempt to improve the operability of the computer.
Currently, there is a trend toward replacing desk-top type computers composed of a mutually independent computer main unit, keyboard and display, with a laptop type, note-book type or palm type computer, in which the computer main unit, the keyboard and the display are provided as an integrated unit, which are convenient for carrying due to their lighter weight and small size.
Therefore, a pointing device must be able to be operated not only on a desk, in the conventional manner, but also with a laptop or palm type computer. Accordingly, the pointing device must occupy less space than the conventional mouse or digitizer, etc., and be built-in to the computer unit; even in the conventional desk-top type computer, due to the need for a smaller space occupation, the pointing device must be built-in to a major component of the computer. Further, in the case of portable computers, such a device must have a low power consumption because such a unit mainly utilizes a battery as a power source thereof.
A conventional pointing device built-in to the computer unit is shown in FIGS. 45A-45C. In FIG. 45A, a bar 2 connected to a not shown sensor is provided on a keyboard 1, so that a pointer or cursor can be moved left and right by moving the bar left and right, and up and down by moving the bar backward and forward. (See Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication Kokai No. 1-503418 corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 4,712,101; 4,724,715; 4,823,634 and 4,896,554). FIGS. 45B and 45C show a construction in which, between a lower member 5 below a shaft 4 of a J-key or F-key as a home key and a housing 6, four sensors, e.g., tension gauges, are provided (FIG. 45B, or as shown in FIG. 45C, four sensors 7 such as tension gauges are provided, respectively, on each of four sides of the shaft 4 having a square cross-section, so that the pointer or cursor can be moved left and right by pressing the key-top 8 to the left and right, and up and down by pressing the key-top 8 backward and forward. Note, in the foregoing operation a control key must be pressed at the same time; i.e., when the key is simply pressed in the vertical direction, a normal character input can be made. (See U.S. Pat. No. 4,680,577).
In the conventional pointing devices which are built-in to the computer unit, in the construction of FIG. 45A a problem arises in that the bar 2 occupies a substantial area of the keyboard 1, and thus leads to an increase in the size thereof, and further, it cannot be operated in an oblique direction (namely, on the X-Y Cartesian plan, it is possible to operate only in the X or Y direction with one action, and thus a movement in an oblique direction must be made by a combination of movements in the X and Y directions), and therefore, the operation is inconvenient. Also in the constructions of FIGS. 45B and 45C, a delicate control must be made of the force exerted on the key-top 8 in the left, right, backward and forward directions, and thus the operability is lowered.
In view of the problems set forth above, an object of the present invention is to provide a pointing control device which can be built-in to a keyboard of a desk-top type computer and a portable compact computer unit, and can provide an enhanced operability.